2023 Honda N-BOX Review, Specs, Features

The Japanese car market has always been specific for so many reasons. Still, the most recognizable aspect of this market has always been the Kei Car class. These small vehicles can’t be found in any other part of the world and they are characterized by an impressive mix of compact size, efficiency and practicality. The N-BOX is a perfect example. Although a van, it fits the strict rules of the segment and brings a lot of functionality in a small package. The current generation has been around since 2017 and we expect that the 2023 Honda N-BOX won’t feature more significant changes.

After the last year’s facelift, we believe that the current generation has a few more good years before it receives a complete overhaul. Therefore, it’s no wonder that this year’s model is coming without more important updates. It brings the same design and features, with two familiar powertrain options available under the hood.

2023 Honda N-BOX Design

As we’ve just mentioned, the 2023 Honda N-BOX comes as a typical carryover model, which is no wonder if we consider the last year’s update. That was a typical mid-cycle refresh, which brought a couple of styling changes, which were quite minor. Most of them were made to the front, in terms of the new bumper, revised grille etc.

It’s also worth mentioning that the actual styling depends on the powertrain choice. The base version comes with pretty mild lines and more conventional headlights and grille. On the other hand, the turbocharged version features way more aggressive front and rear bumpers, a different grille and more modern headlights. Of course, there are different wheels design, different color options and a few more customization options that haven’t changed much compared to the previous model year.

Interior

The cabin of the 2023 Honda N-BOX is compact and functional, but stylish at the same time. We like the dashboard design, which utilizes some funky details but generally looks pretty attractive. The materials are fine, and there is also a decently-sized infotainment screen, transparent instrument cluster etc. Despite the modest dimensions, the van layout provides plenty of headroom for the driver, so it’s actually pretty easy to find a good driving position. Moreover, ergonomics is surprisingly good too.

However, the thing we like about this cabin most is its practicality and functionality. There are two rows of seats, both reasonably spacious. Still, they offer a high level of flexibility, thanks to the seats that can slide front to back, recline, and tip up and down separately or both. In that way, you can easily adapt the cabin to different situations that can include more passengers or more cargo.

The 2023 Honda N-BOX also comes with a decent number of safety features. Some of the highlights are things like pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, ultrasonic mis-acceleration mitigation system and road sign assist.

2023 Honda N-BOX Engines

As we already mentioned, there are two powertrain options on offer for the 2023 Honda N-BOX. The base model comes with a naturally-aspirated 658cc inline-three engine, which puts out around 58 horsepower and 65Nm of the max torque, which is enough to ensure relatively decent performance.

If you’re looking for something more capable, there is a turbocharged version of the same engine. This turbocharged inline-three increases max output to 63 horsepower and offers slightly better performance.

Both units come coupled with a continuously variable transmission, which can send power to the front or all wheels, depending on the layout you pick.